Paedophile’s NSPCC role saw him visit children as young as four

CONVICTED paedophile Carl Beech’s astonishing level of officially-sanctioned access to young children can today be laid bare.

The fantasist, who admitted possessing indecent images of children of the ‘gravest kind’, has repeatedly sought access to young people.

As recently as 017, Beech was able to visit children as young as four in primary schools on behalf of the NSPCC to speak about child abuse. As part of the charity’s Childline service he delivered assemblies on how young people can stay safe online and in person.

The fantasist started in the role in November

01 , shortly after making his first bogus claims of abuse to police.

Beech’s ties with children stretch back to at least 1993 when, as a 5year-old married man, he specialised as a paediatric nurse on a children’s ward at St Mary’s Hospital in Paddington, London.

He later worked on a children’s unit in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire.

By 006, Beech had become chairman of governors at his son’s primary school in Gloucester and incredibly he also became safeguarding representative. He was even interviewed by Ofsted, the education watchdog, during an April 013 visit.

He went on to become vice-chairman of governors at a secondary school in the same area between 014 and 017. During the trial, Beech’s hypocrisy, given his own sexual interest in young boys, was described as ‘breathtaking.’

The prosecution pointed to an incident in 014 when Beech wrote to his counsellor about a teacher arrested on suspicion of gathering child abuse images similar to those he had been collecting. In an email, he said: ‘I don’t think I have been this cross before, it is a new feeling.’

Last night an NSPCC spokesman said: ‘We severed all ties with [Beech] in February 017’, adding that it was a ‘mutual’ decision ‘taken after he had been out of contact with us for some time’.

‘We did not find out until February 018 that he had been charged in connection with the possession and distribution of indecent images of children.’

Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust, which runs St Mary’s, confirmed Beech worked there in 1993 and 1994.